Railway-switch.



No. 896,011. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908.

M. W. GRIFFIN. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED B11014, 1907.

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M. W. GRIFFIN. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED D30 14 1907 lvdnzooea MASON W. GRIFFIN, OF ABERDEEN, MISSISSIPPI.

RAILWAY-SW11 CH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1 1, 1908.

Application filed December 14, 1907. Serial No. 406,457.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAsoN W. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aberdeen, in the county of Monroe and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway switches, the object of the invention being to provide a mechanically operated switch of the class described by means of which a car or train in motion is adapted to throw the switch jaws before reaching the same, the switch being adapted to afterwards close itself automatically.

With the above general object in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings r-Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a railway showing a portion of the switch operatingmechanism. Fig. 2 is a continuation of Fig. 1, showing the switch and another part of the switch operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the railway, showing also a sectional elevation of part of a car including the tripping head for operating the switch. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the switch throwing lever and adjacent parts. Fig. 5 is a cross section through the road bed taken in line with the pivot of the switch throwing levers. Fig. 6 shows a simple form of trip lever.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the main track rails 3 and 4 the switch rails, and 5 and 6 represent respectively lateral movable sections of the main rail, 1 and switch rail 4, the said movable sections 'or switch rails proper being secured relatively to each other by one or more connecting cross bars 7 whereby both switch rails are adapted to move simultaneously in throwing the switch.

The switch rails 5 and 6 are of sufiicient length to bridge the distance between any two sets of wheels on a car or train so that as the car or cars pass thereover, said switch rails are held by the advanced wheels until the following wheels reach the same, the switch being thus held in the same position until all of the wheels have been passed over the same, after which the switch rails are thrown back in their normal position by means of a spring 8 interposed between the switch rail 6 and the main rail 2.

To throw the switch in position to the suitable distance where it is connected to the lower arm of a trip lever 14 fulcrumed on a bracket or suitable support 15 connected to the road bed. At a distance from the trip lever 14 there is arran ed a link 16 which corresponds with the lin r of the upper arm of the lever 14. The link 16 and the arm 14 are connected by a trip rail 17 so that as the lever 14 swings, the trip rail swings with it and always maintains a horizontal osition.

Mounted on the same pin or bol t 12 with the lever 11 is a second switch throwing lever 18 provided at one end with a roller 19 which operates against one arm of an auxiliary lever 20 pivoted about centrally at 21 on the road bed and connected by a link 22 with the point of the movable switch rail 5. The other arm of the lever 18 has attached thereto a rod 23 which extends in the opposite direction from the rod 13 and connects to the trip lever 14 which is in turn connected by a trip rail 17 with a link 16, the parts last referred to corresponding with the trip rail device illustrated in Fig. 3 and hereinabove described.

The car or engine indicated at 24 carries a tripping head 25 embodying one or more horizontally disposed bars carrying a plurality of rollers 26 which are adapted to strike against the trip rail 17 or 17 as the case may be so as to depress said rail and throw the switch by the connections above described. The tripping head 25 is rendered adjustable by means of an adjusting screw 27 having a swiveled connection as at 28 with the tripping head and the threaded connection with a support 29 carried by a car, said adjusting to whether it is desired to trip the switch and run on to the siding or keep along the main track. 31 designates a guiding stem on the tripping head 25 which works up and down in a guide 32 carried by the car, the said guide preventing lateral swinging movement of the head and keeping said head in proper position to act on the trip rail.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that when the tripping head 25 strikes the rail 17 it will depress said rail operating the trip lever 14 and pulling on a connection 13 which operates to throw the switch.

A simple form of triplping device is shown in Fig. 6 in which a sing e trip lever 33 is employed. the same being fulcrumed on a supporting bracket 34 and connected with a pull rod 35 which runs to one of the switch throwing levers 11 or 18. The upper end of said lever 33 is acted upon successively by each of the rollers 26 in the tripping head shown in Fig. 3 thus holding the switch closed long enough to insure the advance wheels of the car or train reaching the movable switch rails, thus preventing the switch rails from being thrown back by the action of the spring 8.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, is

1. In a railway switch, the combination with connected and movable switch rails one 2, In a railway switch, the combination with connected movable switch rails, a switch throwing lever cooperating with one of said rails, and a trip lever connected with said switch throwing lever, of a tripping head carried by the car and provided with rollers adapted to successively contact with the trip lever, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MASON W. GRIFFIW. Witnesses:

WM. I-I. HOLM S, S. A. JoNAs, Jr. 

